Projectile with secondary projectiles and firing apparatus for such projectile

ABSTRACT

A projectile or shell with secondary projectiles which are arranged in a number of adjacent situated rows behind one another and located in a projectile or shell jacket of polygonal crosssection having rounded edges. There are provided at most four rows of secondary projectiles, each row being located in one corner of the projectile jacket. The invention also concerns a firing mechanism for use with such projectiles or shells and equipped with a number of containers, the lengthwise axes of which are essentially in parallel with one another. The cross-section of each container is polygonal and at most has four rounded edges.

United States Patent Mayer [45] Nov. 4, 1975 1 PROJECTILE WITH SECONDARY 3,437,039 4/1969 Hawthorne .1 102/38 PROJECTILES RING APPARATUS 3313333 11133; 21? 183523 c 0c [75] FOR SUCHCPROJECTILE 3,818,794 6/1974 Mayer 89/40 A nventor: omelius Mayer Fallanden,

Switzerland FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 578,034 6/1959 Canada 89/l.8l7 [73] Ass1gnee: Werkzeugmaschmenfabrik oef'hkon'Buhrle lunch Primary Examiner-Samuel Feinberg Swltzerland Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan 22 Filed; Sept, 17, 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Werner W. Kleeman l [2 Appl No 397,809 [57] ABSTRACT A projectile or shell with secondary projectiles which [30] Forelgn Apphcatwn Pnonty Data are arranged in a number of adjacent situated rows be- Sept. 26, 1972 Switzerland 14112/72 hind one another and located. in a projectile or shell jacket of polygonal cross-section having rounded [52] US. Cl. 102/923; 89/1816; 102/69 ed e There are provided at most four rows of sec- [51] Int. Cl. F42B 13/50 ondary rojectiles, each row being located in one cor- [58] Field of Search 102/922, 56, 57, 58, '69, ner of the projectile jacket.

102/72 38; 89/1816 1817 The invention also concerns a firing mechanism for use with such projectiles or shells and equipped with a [56] References C'ted number of containers, the lengthwise axes of which UNITED STATES PATENTS are essentially in parallel with one another. The 1,777,519 10/1930 Flowers 102/38 cross-section of each container is polygonal and at 2,792,962 5/1957 Granfelt 89/1.8l7 most has four rounded edges. 3,129,664 4/1964 Reed 1. 102/38 3,319,522 5/1967 Gould et a1. 89/l.8l6 3 Clam, 3 Drawmg US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,916,794

Fig.1

U.S. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,916,794

PROJECTILE WITII SECONDARY PROJECTILES AND FIRING APPARATUS FOR SUCH PROJECTILE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of projectile or shell having secondary projectiles which are arranged in a number of adjacently situated rows behind one another in a projectile or shell jacket of polygonal cross-section with rounded edges, and this invention also concerns the use of such shells in a firing-mechanism having a number of containers, the lengthwise axes of which are in parallelism with one another.- 1 e A prior art primaryshell or projectile possesses a hexagonal cross-sectional configuration and contains nineteen secondary projectiles. This primary projectile or shell is smallerthan a circular cylindrical projectile with the same number of equal size secondary shells or projectiles. However this saving in cross-section is negligible.

SUMMARY-OF THE INVENTION It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved construction of projectile wherein the cross-sectional area of the projectile with the same number of equal size secondary projectiles is considerably smaller than a circular-shaped crosssectional area.

Another object of the present invention relates to a new and improved construction of firing apparatus for use with the projectiles of this invention.

Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the projectile or shell of this development is manifested by the features that at most there are provided four rows of secondary projectiles or shells, each row being located in a corner of the projectile jacket.

Apart from the above, the invention is also concerned with the use of the projectile in as small as possible firing apparatus having a number of containers, the lengthwise axes of which are parallel to one another. According to this aspect of the invention, each container has a polygonal configuration and at most four rounded corners.

In particular, there is contemplated a rocket firing mechanism or apparatus with a number of containers or tubes which, as stated above, have their lengthwise axes essentially parallel to one another and in which there are located rockets or primary projectiles having secondary projectiles, the secondary projectiles being arranged in a number of adjacently situated rows behind one another and being located in primary projectile or shell jackets. The cross-section of each projectile jacket forms a substantially symmetrical polygon with rounded corners, the cross-section of the container of the firing mechanism possesses a corresponding shape, and at the rear of the projectile jacket and coaxially with respect thereto there is arranged a substantially circular cylindrical propellant charge housing having the same diameter as the circle inscribed by the outer contour of the aforementioned polygon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a projectile having secondary projectiles and designed according to a first exemplary embodiment, partially depicted in front view and partially in longitudinal sectional view, taken substantially along line I-I of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a firing apparatus or mechanism loaded with projectiles designed according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view corresponding to that of FIG. 2, with projectiles according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Describing now the drawings; according to the showing of FIG. 1, the exemplary embodiment of projectile or shell depicted therein will be understood to comprise a projectile or shell jacket 1 for secondary projectiles or shells 5. This projectile jacket 1 is connected by means of a coupling element 2 with a circularcylindrical rocket propellant charge housing 3. A rod 4, the axis of which coincides with the projectile axis, is secured to the coupling element 2 and extends through the projectile or shell jacket 1 to the tip of the projectile. As best seen by referring to FIG. 2, the cross-section of the projectile or shell jacket 1 is essentially in the form of an equilateral triangle with rounded corners, the radius of curvature of the corners being equal in size to the radius of the secondary projectiles 5. In each corner of the projectile or shell jacket 1 there is located a row of tandemly arranged secondary shells or projectiles 5. The secondary projectiles 5 bear with a portion of their periphery at the corner portions 6 of the projectile jacket 1. The axes of the rows of secondary projectiles 5 all possess the same spacing from the axis of the rod 4 and are located at the same angular spacing from one another. Each two of the rounded corner portions 6 of the projectile or shell jacket 1 are connected by a jacket section 7. This jacket section or portion 7 consists of a less strongly curved cylindrical surface and both of the portions 6 and 7 continuously merge into one another. The generatrixes of the portions or parts 7 of the projectile jacket 1, which are contained at the central planes. between each two rows of secondary shells 5, coincidewith individual generatrixes of the propellant charge housing 3.

As best seen by referring to FIG. 2, a rocket projectile or shell of the previously mentioned type is located in a container or tube 8, the inner cross-section of which likewise is essentially triangular. The diameter of an inscribed circle 9 of this triangle is equal to the diameter of the propellant charge housing 3. The projectile is guided by individual generatrixes of the container 8 along those generatrixesof the projectile jacket 1, the spacing from the projectile axis of which is equal to the outer radius of the propellant charge housing 3.

A number of tubes or containers 8 of this type, as best seen by referring to FIG. 2, can be combined into clusters or bunches in a firing mechanism, in that the sides of two neighboring containers 8 bear against one another. One such cluster or bunch requires less space than a cluster or bunch of circular-cylindrical projectiles with secondary projectiles of the same size and number.

At this point there will be now considered in conjunction with FlG. 3 a second embodiment of the invention wherein the same components have been generally designated by the same reference characters, and components ofthis modified embodiment which differ from those .of the first embodiment have had added to the previously employed reference characters the letter a.

Hence, the projectile or shell according to this embodiment will be seen to comprise a jacket la having an'approximately square cross-section, the corners of the square likewise being markedly rounded. Four rows of .secondary projectiles or shells 5 are arranged in the corner portions 6a of the projectile jacket la. The corner portions 6a are connected with one another by flat walls 7a. A circle 9a which is inscribed by the outer boundaries of the jacket cross-section coincides with the cross-section of the propellant charge housing 3. The inner cross-section of the container 8a is a square of essentially the same size as the cross-section of the projectile jacket la, with the only difference that the corners are less strongly rounded.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Accordingly, what is claimed is:

1. In a rocket comprising a rocket jacket and a substantially circular-cylindrical housing secured at the rearward end of the rocket jacket and containing a propellant charge, said rocket jacket containing a plurality of adjacently situated substantially circular-cylindrical projectiles, the improvement comprising said rocket jacket having a substantially polygonal cross-section having a plurality of corners and containing'in each corner thereof at least one of said secondary projectiles, said propellant charge housing having the same diameter as a circle inscribed within the outer contour of said polygonal cross-section of the rocket jacket.

2. In a rocket firing apparatus comprising a plurality of tubes, the lengthwise axes of said tubes being essentially in parallelism with one another, each tube containing a rocket therein, each of said rockets comprising a rocket jacket and a substantially circularcylindrical housing secured at the rearward end of the rocket jacket and containing a propellant charge, said rocket jacket containing a plurality of adjacently situated substantially circular-cylindrical secondary projectiles, the improvement comprising said tubes and said rocket jackets having a substantially polygonal cross-section with rounded corners, each ofsaid rocket jackets containing in each corner thereof at least one of said secondary projectiles, said housing having the same diameter as a circle inscribed within the outer contour of said polygonal cross-section of the rocket jacket, said housing having a number of generatrixes along which the rocket is guided in its associated tube, and said rocket jacket having a number of generatrixes, the spacing from the rocket axis of which is equal to said generatrixes of the housing.

3. The rocket firing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the radius of curvature of the corners of the cross-section of the rocket jacket is larger than the radius of curvature of the corners of the cross-section of the tubes. 

1. In a rocket comprising a rocket jacket and a substantially circular-cylindrical housing secured at the rearward end of the rocket jacket and containing a propellant charge, said rocket jacket containing a plurality of adjacently situated substantially circular-cylindrical projectiles, the improvement comprising said rocket jacket having a substantially polygonal cross-section having a plurality of corners and containing in each corner thereof at least one of said secondary projectiles, said propellant charge housing having the same diameter as a circle inscribed within the outer contour of said polygonal cross-section of the rocket jacket.
 2. In a rocket firing apparatus comprising a plurality of tubes, the lengthwise axes of said tubes being essentially in parallelism with one another, each tube containing a rocket therein, each of said rockets comprising a rocket jacket and a substantially circular-cylindrical housing secured at the rearward end of the rocket jacket and containing a propellant charge, said rocket jacket containing a plurality of adjacently situated substantially circular-cylindrical secondary projectiles, the improvement comprising said tubes and said rocket jackets having a substantially polygonal cross-section with rounded corners, each of said rocket jackets containing in each corner thereof at least one of said secondary projectiles, said housing having the same diameter as a circle inscribed within the outer contour of said polygonal cross-section of the rocket jacket, said housing having a number of generatrixes along which the rocket is guided in its associated tube, and said rocket jacket having a number of generatrixes, the spacing from the rocket axis of which is equal to said generatrixes of the housing.
 3. The rocket firing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the radius of curvature of the corners of the cross-section of the rocket jacket is larger than the radius of curvature of the corners of the cross-section of the tubes. 